How did the Pinochet regime restrict political opposition in Chile?

The regime of Gen. Augusto Pinochet systematically dismantled democratic institutions and suppressed political opposition through both legal and extrajudicial means following the 1973 coup d’état.123

Institutional and Legal Restrictions

Upon seizing power, the military junta immediately dissolved the National Congress and suspended all activity by traditional political parties. The regime proscribed Marxist parties—such as the Communist and Socialist parties—and placed centrist and right-wing parties into "indefinite recess" before dissolving them entirely in 1977. By 1975, Pinochet declared that no future elections would be held in the country.4325

Repression and Human Rights Abuses

The regime utilized widespread violence to eliminate dissent. In the first three years of his rule, the government arrested approximately 130,000 people. Political opponents, students, and social activists were subjected to:6
* Detention and Torture: Tens of thousands were tortured, and many were held in improvised detention centers, such as the National Stadium in Santiago, or remote concentration camps.63
* Disappearances: The regime kidnapped and killed numerous dissidents, a practice later illuminated by the disclosure of Operation Condor, a coordinated effort by South American military governments to eliminate political opponents.6